Master of Health Science (MHS) Online

Areas of Specialization

Follow the General program—or choose from our four specializations.

Teaching & Learning Specialization

Practice teaching methodologies that motivate the modern student—in both traditional and online classrooms—and develop curricula that meet the varying needs of learners across generations. As you complete your comprehensive project, you will have the option to develop a curriculum for a healthcare organization or gain experience in online teaching. You’ll prepare for roles such as:

• Health sciences faculty member in higher education
• Health curriculum developer
• Public health educator
• Wellness program manager
• Wellness consultant

Informatics

Immerse yourself in the growing, interdisciplinary field of health informatics. Learn how to use computers, information technology, and other IT-based innovations to analyze data and manage healthcare records.

Health informatics specialists and analysts play an important role in facilitating effective collaboration between various healthcare providers, which leads to improved patient care outcomes. Potential careers include:

• Health Informatics Specialist
• Healthcare Data Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Other Data Analysts

Students who complete the Informatics specialization are eligible to receive the following certificates:

• Certified Specialist in Business Intelligence (CSBI) Certificate
• Neehr Perfect Completion Certificate

Athletic Training

Interested in adding to your credentials as an athletic trainer or athletic therapist? Through the Athletic Training specialization, you will develop leadership, problem solving, and business skills, cultivate expertise in risk management and cultural competence, and become exposed to advanced concepts such as injury prevention programs and the treatment of female and disabled athletes.

As an athletic training MHS student, you can also expect to:

• Immediately apply knowledge from relevant courses such as Evidence-based Concussion Management, Sport and Disability, and Emergency Athletic Training
• Leverage CAATE competencies and the NATA’s Role Delineation Study as a foundation for the advanced coursework
• Expand your experiential knowledge of athletic training public policy issues
• Learn how to effectively share industry information with your peers
• Complete the Evidence-based Concussion Management course (IPE 7255) and become an ImPACT®Trained Athletic Trainer (ITAT)
• 33.0 EBP CEUs are provided across courses in this specialization

Students who are licensed and/or certified athletic trainers or athletic therapists may also attend the three-day, on-campus immersion (part of the Emergency Athletic Training course) and benefit from a hands-on approach to learning advanced emergency skills for athletic injury management. The immersion fulfills the professional rescuer requirements to maintain board licensure and/or certification.

Students who complete the Athletic Training specialization are eligible to receive the Impact Trained Athletic Trainer (ITAT) certificate.

Executive Leadership

If you aspire to lead in a healthcare environment, the Executive Leadership specialization can help provide the necessary skills to achieve your goal. Complete a series of courses to learn more about operational leadership, developing and managing an effective team, strategic planning and decision making, leadership strategies and the importance of quality performance standards to achieve organizational outcomes. Accelerated learning is available for select courses in this specialization.

Curriculum

Students in the MHS program take a total of 36 credits—21 credits of required core courses, as well as 15 general elective or specialization credits. Students may choose the traditional learning pathway, which requires 6 credit hours per trimester, or the accelerated learning pathway, which requires 9 credit hours per trimester. Please note that for accelerated learning courses, students must enroll in and concurrently complete an “anchor” course (i.e., a course not designated with a “B” suffix) to be eligible for financial aid for the accelerated learning course. See the Financial Aid webpage for additional information.

♦ The immersions—Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals, and Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health—are optional for all students.

Follow the General Program or Choose a Specialization

MHS to EdD Bridge Program

Upon successful completion of your MHS degree, you will be eligible to enroll in the MHS to EdD Bridge Program. Up to 30 credits can be applied from the MHS program, allowing you to complete the USAHS Doctor of Education (EdD) degree program in less time.

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USAHS’ MHS program is open to residents of the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

USAHS is not accepting applications from states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program.  It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides. USAHS’ MHS program is not designed or intended to lead to professional licensure in any state.

Admissions Requirements

Our MHS admissions requirements listed below are put in place to help you succeed in the program.

• A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university—preferably in the health sciences.
• Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended sent directly to the Admissions Office by the Registrar of the issuing institution or one forwarded in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• One recommendation from a professional colleague
• Statement of Purpose – Essay of approximately 500 words describing the applicant’s short and long-term career goals and plans to achieve those goals.
• For those interested in the Athletic Training Specialization, residents of the USA, Canada and Ireland will need to provide evidence that you are a Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT), and/or a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), a Canadian Athletic Therapist (CAT) or an Athletic Rehabilitation Therapist Ireland (ARTI).

International Students Applying for Admission
Foreign-trained candidates who do not require a student visa to participate in University courses and/or degrees can be considered for admission.

For those interested in the Athletic Training Specialization, International students from countries other than USA, Canada and Ireland must meet with the program director or student academic advisor to discuss specialization coursework.

If the applicant completed his or her education in a foreign country, the applicant must submit an original copy of a degree credentialing evaluation from an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). If the NACES-approved evaluation service includes a copy of the evaluated official transcripts with the evaluation, USAHS will consider these transcripts as official. The evaluation must indicate previous education at the minimum level of a baccalaureate degree (or master’s degree, if required for the program) earned at an accredited college or university in the United States.

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The 36-credit-hour Master of Health Science (MHS) program may be completed in an accelerated 16 months, or a traditional two (2) years. Total program tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year is as follows. All fees are estimates and subject to change.

Financial Aid

Student loans may be available to assist with funding your Master of Health Science program. USAHS has financial aid counselors who are available to explain your options.

Financial aid counselors can be reached by email, phone, or on campus. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in each time zone. If you are unable to meet during regular office hours, after-hours appointments are available by request.

Please visit our Financial Aid Contact page for more information.

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Meet Our MHS Faculty Industry Leaders

Shone Gipson

Shone is in his first year as an assistant athletic trainer at the Cleveland Browns. A member of the Buffalo Bills Athletic Training Staff for sixteen seasons, he was honored as a member of the 2007 and 2014 Athletic Training Staff of the Year by the Pro Football Athletic Trainers Society and the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation. Before coming to the Bills, Gipson spent two years as an assistant athletic trainer at Texas A&M. He also served as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer with the Bills during the 2002 season. Prior to the Bills, he served as a summer intern with the Washington Redskins in 1998 and the New York Giants in 2000. In 1998 Gipson earned the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Ethnic Minority Scholarship as well as the University of Houston Barry C. Pelton Scholarship for outstanding work in kinesiology from the University of Houston in 1999 working as a student athletic trainer under Hall of Fame athletic trainer, Mike O’Shea. From 1999-2001, he was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Stephen F. Austin State University, working with the soccer and softball teams under Hall of Fame athletic trainer, Sanford Miller. Shone received his master’s degree in secondary education from SFA in 2002. A native of Bay City, Texas, Gipson is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, Ohio Athletic Trainers Association, Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Rick Bahr

Rick Bahr is the founder, president, and CEO of WMI Global, LLC, which provides professional event risk management, safety, emergency, sports medical, and rescue services at major sporting events around the world.

Chuck Kimmel

Specializations: Athletic Training

Chuck Kimmel brings more than 35 years of leadership and clinical experience to the online classroom, including his service as National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) president, secretary/treasurer, district director, and committee chair.

Stefanie Podlog

Specializations: Athletic Training

Dr. Stefanie Podlog is an adjunct faculty contributing to the Master of Health Science in Athletic Training online education program. She has over 20 years of experience as a nurse, educator, researcher, and consultant in the health and injury fields.

George Poulis

Specializations: Athletic Training

George was recently appointed Head Athletic trainer of the Atlanta Braves, after fifteen seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Prior to the Blue Jays, he was an athletic trainer for the San Diego Padres’ Minor League for 10 years.

Jenna Street

Specializations: Athletic Training

Jenna Street is the coordinator of Sports Medicine Clinic Operations for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). After finishing her master’s degree, Street completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship with the USOC, where she has worked full time since 2009.

Sonya Soohoo, Ph.D

ACE- Certified Health Coach

Dr. Sonya SooHoo received her Bachelor’s in Human Biodynamics from the University of California, Berkeley, her Master’s in Kinesiology from California State University, East Bay, and her Doctorate in Exercise and Sport Science with a Specialty in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Health Promotion from the University of Utah. She is a Research Data Analyst at the University of California, San Francisco, examining older adults’ social and physical stressors on the long-term courses of health. In addition to being a new contributing faculty at USAHS, she works with clients of all ages as a mental performance consultant and health coach. Her main research interests include body image, disordered eating, physical activity, and psychosocial aspects of aging, and she has collaborated on over 25 published articles and book chapters on health-related topics across the lifespan.

Please visit the USAHS faculty page for the most up-to-date faculty list

MHS Advisory Board

Athletic Training Expert – Adam R. Annaccone, EdD, ATC,CES, PES

Dr. Adam Annaccone is an Elite Practitioner and Director of Performance Healthcare Education and Integration for Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star. He is a Board Certified Athletic Trainer, a Corrective Exercise Specialist, and a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Dr. Annaccone has extensive experience providing injury and illness prevention, wellness protection, clinical evaluation and diagnosis, emergency care, treatment, and rehabilitation. In addition, he has provided health and well-being skills to patients and athletes from amateur, collegiate, and professional backgrounds.

Prior to moving to Frisco, Dr. Annaccone spent the past three seasons with the NBA Phoenix Suns as a member of their highly regarded sports medicine staff as Director of Performance & Recovery. In addition, he has served as an independent contractor for Fusionetics, a performance healthcare system, traveling the globe with high-profile professional athletes. The program is designed to reduce injuries, decrease pain, optimize performance, and speed recovery. He has also served as an instructor within various accredited undergraduate and graduate athletic training programs, most recently, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

In 2013, he was recognized by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association with the NATA Young Professional’s Committee National Distinction Award. Dr. Annaccone has been an active member in the profession of athletic training, serving on various local, regional, and national committees, most recently in Arizona as a member of the Arizona Athletic Trainers’ Association Government Affairs Committee. He holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education from Clarion University, and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Duquesne University.

Informatics Expert – Corinne Smith, MBA, RHIA CCS CDIP CHDA

Corinne Smith is a Professor and Program Coordinator for the Health Information Management and Coding Certificate programs at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, Maryland. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Health Information and Informatics Management graduate program at University of Maryland University College. She has been an educator for more than 18 years and contributed to course and curriculum design at several online and campus-based health information management programs. Before working as a HIM educator, Corinne held management and health IT positions at healthcare organizations in the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area.

Corinne is an active volunteer for the American Health Information Management Association and its D.C. chapter. She serves AHIMA as Chair of the Professional Certification Approval Program Board of Directors, as a Faculty Badge mentor and as a member of the Council on Education Program Planning Committee. She is a past-President of DCHIMA and has served in many roles for DCHIMA over the past 20 years.

Teaching & Learning in Healthcare Expert – Justine J. Reel, PhD, LPC, CMPC

Dr. Justine Reel is an Associate Dean of Research and Innovation and Professor within the College of Health and Human Services at University of North Carolina Wilmington. Prior to this position she served on the faculty at University of Utah, West Chester University, Temple University, and Salem College. At University of Utah she most recently worked as the Director of Graduate Studies and an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Education.

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of North Carolina and Utah. Since 2009, as a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC), she has worked with athletes from diverse sports in Olympic, college, high school, and youth sports. Her research and health education specialty areas include obesity and eating disorder prevention. She led the development and implementation of an exercise education program to address dysfunctional exercise patterns within eating disorder patients.

Dr. Reel has published the following books: Filling Up: The Psychology of Eating, Hidden Faces of Eating Disorders and Body Image, Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention, Working Out: The Psychology of Sport and Exercise, and The Female Athlete Triad along with over 100 manuscripts and book chapters. She received her doctorate and master’s degrees at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Master of Health Science (MHS)

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Master of Health Science (MHS)

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Please note that many countries have their own accrediting and licensing bodies, and degree recognition and licensure differ from country to country. Additionally, a number of countries do not recognize online degrees for employment or promotion purposes, particularly government agency employment or promotion. University programs are designed to meet accreditation, licensure and other requirements in the United States. If you reside outside of the United States, it is important that you review and understand the requirements of your country of residence to confirm licensure requirements, as well as recognition of your program for employment or promotion purposes in those countries.